Lagos, October 12 (Daily Kiran) : Maya Rajeshwaran, a promising young tennis player from India, recently marked a significant milestone in her career by winning her first professional singles title at the W35 Lagos tournament. The 17-year-old athlete described this achievement as just the beginning of her journey in the senior circuit. She expressed deep admiration for former world number one doubles player Sania Mirza, emphasizing that surpassing Mirza is not a goal for her, as she views her as a legendary figure in Indian tennis.
Maya’s remarkable performance in Lagos included a doubles victory alongside Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Khotliar, followed by a flawless singles campaign where she did not drop a set. In the final, she defeated Spain’s Celia Servino Ruiz with a score of 6-4, 6-2, making her the youngest Indian woman to win the W35 singles title and breaking a 22-year-old record set by Mirza.
When asked about comparisons to Mirza, Maya swiftly dismissed the notion, highlighting the substantial legacy Mirza has left for future generations. During a virtual press conference, she stated, “I don’t think you can really surpass her because she is a legend and will always remain one. I see her as my role model because she brought recognition to tennis in our country over the years.”
Maya acknowledged that while she hasn’t had extensive conversations with Mirza, she hopes to learn from her experiences. “I haven’t spoken to her much, but I admire her a lot. I listen to all her podcasts and interviews. I believe she will always be a legend and my role model,” she added.
This victory is a significant step for Maya, who was ranked 1,038 in the world before the tournament. She qualified for the main draw, defeating the top seed Justina Mikulskaitė in the first round and continuing to overcome higher-ranked opponents.
Reflecting on her journey through the tournament, Maya noted that this experience was more about building confidence than anything else. “I think this is just a kind of beginning because it’s my first title. It’s a good sign for starting my pro career. It’s definitely a great start, but I don’t think it’s a big deal because it’s just a beginning. Now, it’s just confidence that I’ve given myself that I can compete better,” she explained.
Maya entered the Lagos tournament without any expectations, which allowed her to focus on her game rather than her ranking or the abilities of her opponents. “Honestly, it was just another tournament for me because I’ve been competing for a while. As a qualifier, I just tried my best and kept moving forward,” she said.
Discussing her undefeated run in the main draw, Maya emphasized that results at the professional level often depend on who plays better on a given day. She remarked, “I came in without any expectations. I won a round in the qualifiers and then faced the top seed. I think I just went there and tried to play as well as I could because I felt like an underdog in this tournament.”
Maya’s first-round victory against Mikulskaitė was particularly memorable, as she came back from a 0-5 deficit in the first set to win 7-5 and then took the second set 6-1. Reflecting on that comeback, she shared how a glance at the match clock shifted her perspective. “I wasn’t starting well, but I looked at the clock and realized I wasn’t going to lose a set in 25 minutes. That thought kept me in the match,” she recalled.
This shift in mindset helped her gain momentum and control in the second set. “If I win the first set after being down 0-5, I think it has an impact. The momentum was with me, and I just continued playing the way I had been,” she added.
Maya credited her experience in junior tournaments for helping her manage the challenges of a busy schedule in Lagos, where players often compete in both singles and doubles events.
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